Chapter 10
The morning sun broke over the horizon, casting a natural, bright light across the sprawling Greystone estate. The cinematic glow illuminated the devastation of the previous night—the blackened husks of the Moretti SUVs, the shattered glass on the driveway, and the heavy iron gates that had been blown off their hinges. Yet, inside the mansion, a profound sense of peace had finally settled over the cream marble floors.
Leander stood by the tall, arched windows of his private study, looking out over his domain. He had shed his suit jacket, wearing only a crisp white shirt and dark trousers. His injured left arm rested comfortably in its sling, the throbbing pain managed by the estate doctor’s early morning visit. His dark hair was swept back, and his sharp jawline caught the morning light as he surveyed the cleanup efforts below.
Althea walked into the study, carrying a silver tray with two cups of hot coffee. She wore her sophisticated black maid dress, the pristine white apron completely spotless, her hair neatly pinned beneath the white lace headband. But the worried expression that usually clouded her beautiful features was gone, replaced by a radiant, quiet confidence.
She walked over to the heavy mahogany desk and set the tray down. Leander turned away from the window, his dark eyes instantly softening as they landed on her.
"Is the estate secure, Leander?" Althea asked softly, handing him a porcelain cup with her delicate hands.
"Do you believe any rival family will dare approach these walls after what we left on the driveway last night?" Leander asked, his deep, measured voice holding a quiet, lethal pride. He took the cup with his uninjured right hand, the artistic tattoos wrapping around the fine china.
"I heard the guards talking," Althea said, stepping closer to him, her flats making almost no sound on the thick Persian rug. "They said Oswald is begging for a meeting with you."
"Does a traitor deserve an audience, or should he simply wait for the consequences of his ambition?" Leander asked, taking a sip of the dark coffee.
"He is still your uncle," Althea murmured, her expressive eyes searching his face. "But he would have killed you without a second thought."
"And did he not seal his own fate the moment he laid a hand on me in front of you?" Leander asked, reaching out to gently touch her waist, pulling her closer against his side.
Althea leaned into his embrace, resting her head against his broad shoulder. "I am just glad it is over."
"Is it truly over, Althea, or is this merely the beginning of the life we are going to build together?" Leander asked, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
"It's a beginning," Althea smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist, careful of his injured shoulder. "But the staff is whispering. They don't understand why the boss is spending his morning with a housemaid."
"Do you expect me to care about the whispers of staff when the woman who saved my life is standing right here in my arms?" Leander asked, looking down into her eyes with absolute, unwavering devotion.
Althea laughed softly, the sound bringing a rare, genuine smile to the mafia boss's lips.
"Will you take off that apron today, Althea, and let the world see who truly rules this house by my side?" Leander asked, his voice a low, intimate rumble.
May you like
"I will," Althea promised, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him.
The political fallout of the night's violence would undoubtedly require his ruthless attention in the coming days, and the fate of Oswald Greystone still hung in the balance in the dark cells below. But as Leander held the brave, beautiful woman in the bright morning light, he knew that his empire was finally invincible.
